🗞️ Why in News The Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 1,943 crore contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) on August 17, 2026, to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) drones for the Indian Navy.
What Was Signed
The contract, signed in the presence of Additional Secretary and DG (Acquisition) A. Anbarasu at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi, covers a 30-month lease of the two Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). The systems are intended to boost Maritime Domain Awareness across the Indian Ocean Region.
Why This Matters
Leasing, rather than outright purchase, lets the Navy rapidly field persistent, long-endurance surveillance capability while broader indigenous or larger-scale acquisition programmes for such platforms remain under negotiation, a model increasingly used to bridge capability gaps in India’s evolving drone and maritime-ISR architecture.
UPSC Relevance
This is a useful case study for GS3 questions on defence procurement models, specifically the lease-versus-purchase trade-off, and on persistent ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) capability in India’s Indian Ocean Region maritime security strategy.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
MQ-9B Sea Guardian Lease, 2026:
- Signed: August 17, 2026; value: Rs 1,943 crore
- Vendor: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI)
- Lease duration: 30 months; units: 2 MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE RPAS
- End-user: Indian Navy; purpose: Maritime Domain Awareness, Indian Ocean Region
Other Relevant Facts:
- Signing location: Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi
Sources: PIB, ANI, Ministry of Defence
Source: MoD Signs Rs 1,943 Crore Deal to Lease Two MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drones for Navy — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
